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July 30, 2004 Today's Traffic Adventure My daily trip from River Road in Stratham to the Stratham Post Office is decidedly an adventure, and not merely a short trip to perform an errand. Here's how the adventure unfolded today. I drove to the end of River Road, stopped in the left turn lane, and assessed the situation. It was so bad that I wanted to back up, turn right, and use the Market Basket traffic light to facilitate my left turn onto the road. I had plenty of time. However, a car pulled out of the Mobil Station onto River Road, and pulled up behind me, also wanting to turn left onto Route 33. This worried me. Knowing that it can literally take ten minutes or more to execute the left turn, I hoped the driver's patience would not give out and result in some angrily executed incident. Several cars entered the Route 33 center lane from the north to make a left turn into the paint store/muffler shop. All I could do was wait until they made their turn. Several more cars arrived from the same direction to make the same turn. A fancy BMW literally screeched its tires when it encountered these cars in the center lane. The BMW was racing in the center lane from the southerly direction. Assuming the center lane to finally be clear, since it is impossible to be sure due to the speeders who use it, I finally made it to the center lane. I came to a full stop and prepared to await an opening into the northbound travel lane. My out-of-state companion from the Mobil Station followed me after only a short time. Using the rearview mirror, I could see no breaks in the traffic for as far as I could see. Finally an opening appeared, but so many cars had been waiting for it further back that the opening quickly filled. I remained stopped and continued to wait. I've learned not to move, since cars approach from in front of me in the center lane while I'm looking in the mirror. The patience in the car behind me was wearing thin. I couldn't do anything about him and hoped he wouldn't try to pull around me just as I tried to make a move. Finally the opening became large enough so that I expected I could enter the travel lane. I began moving slowly, hoping to have some momentum to aid the maneuver. Fortunately I was moving VERY slowly, as a car from Frying Pan Lane pulled into the center lane to take advantage of the same opening. We were now face to face in the center lane. I made my move into the right hand lane while the Frying Pan Lane car stopped and held its position. I hope the out-of-state impatient car was suitably impressed by all of this. He did maintain his composure throughout the ordeal. Once more I successfully made it to the Stratham Post Office, though once more with my hands shaking. My favorite part of today's adventure was the BMW screeching to a halt while racing north in the center lane. The driver's face appeared completely astonished to see cars making turns in the center lane. All of this is boring or perhaps mildly amusing reading. However, there is nothing amusing about the traffic situation at the intersection of River Road and Route 33 in Stratham. It is very scary and very dangerous. One day the tires will not screech soon enough. Someone will die. Everyone will say, "Oh, yes, that's been a terrible intersection for years, and nothing has been done. What a shame." I don't want to be the one who dies. I don't want to be the one who is crashed into. I don't want my car destroyed, my body broken. I only want to be able to drive to my destination safely. Help is needed. The intersection is completely out of control. Karen Horsman / PO Box 690, Stratham, NH 03885 |
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